Swelling Behavior of Amino Acid Based Cross Linked Hydrogels with Different Counteranions

Singh, Malay Kumar (2015) Swelling Behavior of Amino Acid Based Cross Linked Hydrogels with Different Counteranions. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

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Abstract

Recently, naturally occurring amino acid based polymers have generated considerable interest because introducing amino group in a polymer allows it to have certain flexibility which helps to architect different morphology. In the present work I have studied controlled radical polymerization (CRP) technique such as Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT) for the synthesis of amino acid based cross-linked polymer gels, in which primary amine functionality was protected with the Boc-group. I have synthesized three sets of cross-linked polymer hydrogels from Boc-Ala- HEMA using DEGDMA as cross-linker with the variation of [monomer] / [cross-linker] ratios via RAFT polymerization method, followed by Boc group deprotection. Boc deprotection has been achieved using different acids (TFA, HCl, HNO₃ and HOTf) with the aim of having different counter aninons at the pendant amino acids of polyelectrolyte hydrogels. Hydrogels showed highest swelling with TFA⁻ and lowest swelling with ⁻OTf counter anion. SRe also varied with the variation of cross-linking ratios. The experimental observation for the water uptake ratio of synthesized hydrogels is clearly substantiated from their highly porous morphology, which changes with the monomer ratio as well as the acid used for deprotection. These smart hydrogels will have wide potential applications in the fields of tissue engineering, Surface coating, agriculture, and drug delivery.

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